What Goes Around
by NineCentsChange
Summary: A look into the lives of Charlie and Maxwell after the events of Don't Starve, and all of the unexpected surprises they face together.
1. Chapter 1

Maxwell liked to consider himself someone who was not easily surprised. After all the years spent being around frightening shadows and other monsters, other events didn't tend to faze him as much. Not to say his current life was boring or unfulfilling, oh no, far from it.

After destroying the codex umbra and sending everyone home, he and Charlie had helped each other get back on their feet. Charlie forgave him for everything that had happened, and Maxwell swore on his life that he would never attempt to invoke dark magic ever again.

Through some miraculous effort, they'd managed to re-land their jobs as entertainers. Charlie reaccepted her role as his assistant, and together they worked to create new and increasingly impressive magic tricks and special effects, each one more convincing and amazing than the next. Over time, they grew closer than they'd ever gotten before.

Maxwell sat in the chair in his dressing room, admiring a framed photo on his desk. It was of him and Charlie, arm in arm, with him donning a black tuxedo and her in a flowery white gown. He smiled, that day had truly been one of the happiest days of his life.

Speaking of which, Charlie would normally come into his room to see him before a performance, but tonight she was nowhere to be found. She'd been acting a bit distant as of today, he'd noticed. First, she hadn't been as talkative as she normally would be, and now it almost seemed as if she were avoiding him, but for what reason he could not tell.

She's likely just a bit nervous, he told himself. It was a full house tonight, and in one of the largest theaters in New York, something that would've made even the greatest performance artist get at least a little stage fright. Therefore, he knew that she'd eventually come around.

He checked the clock. Almost show time. He got up from the chair, checked his outfit one last time, and then exited the room. He walked briskly past the stagehands, making his way to the stage. He felt someone take hold of his arm. He looked to his right to see Charlie walking alongside him, giving him a bright smile. "You ready to knock 'em dead?"

He grinned back. "As I'll ever be, dearest." He sighed internally, glad to see his wife was finally coming back around.

They situated themselves on the stage behind a massive red curtain. They could hear the clamoring of the audience right behind it, waiting for the show to begin. A stagehand trotted past them. "Five minutes till curtain, Mr. and Mrs. Carter."

The lights in the theater dimmed, and the audience fell silent. Somewhere, a drumroll began to play.

They exchanged quick smiles as an announcer's voice resounded through the house. "_And now, ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the one and only, the Amazing Maxwell!_"

They turned and put on their best smiles as the curtains lifted off the ground and a spot light shone down on them, and the audience burst into thunderous applause.

The performance went off without a single hitch. Every trick was executed perfectly. They took a brief break in Maxwell's room during intermission, then went right back into it as the final act rolled around. At the end of the show, they took their final bows and held hands together as the great red curtain dropped down for the last time, concealing them behind the stage.

They cheerfully went back to his dressing room, still giddy from the adrenaline rush that came from performing. He closed the door behind them, then quickly picked Charlie up and twirled her around, both of them laughing joyfully.

He laughed again as he set her back down. "We really did it tonight!"

"We sure did!" She held his hands in hers, smiling wide. "Did you see the duke's face when you sawed me in half? His couldn't believe his eyes!"

"I certainly did. And if we see him again tonight, we'll be sure to let him know that there's plenty more where that came from!"

She laughed, "You bet!" Then, her expression turned a bit more sober. "So, now that the show's done, could I talk to you about something?"

He took off his coat and hung it up on the wall. "Of course you can, my dear. Oh! But before you do," he went over to his closet and opened the doors, "what do you think I should wear at the reception tonight?"

Charlie fidgeted with her hands. "Um, well…"

"The pinstripes are always dapper, but I was thinking something a little classier for tonight." He took a jacket off its hanger to inspect it more closely.

"They're both nice Maxy, but I'd really like to—"

"Well, would you look at this?" He rifled through the coat pocket and pulled out a small tube, and then held it up for her to see. "This must be from my old act."

He walked back over to Charlie. "It's designed to shoot confetti when activated. Of course, it's likely a dud after being in that coat for so long." He inspected the device more closely.

Charlie took a tentative step towards him. "Maxy, I don't know if you should—"

_POP!_

The two of them flinched as a spray of glitter and confetti filled the room. Charlie looked about her, then sighed and folded her hands in front of her and looked down at the floor.

Maxwell stared at the sudden shower of confetti floating down on them like snow. "Nope, I was wrong. All those years, and it still works perfectly fine, can you believe that?"

Charlie remained silent, eyes still focused on the floor.

He noticed her sudden silence, and grew immediately concerned. "Charlie? Darling?"

"….I'm pregnant."

The room went so silent they could hear the individual pieces of confetti falling.

Charlie's eyes looked up at Maxwell. All he could do was stare at her, mouth hanging open, trying to process what she just said. Finally, words came to him. "We… We're expecting…?"

Charlie nodded, trying to read his expression.

So many emotions coursed through him at once. Disbelief, then shock, even a bit of fear. But on top of that, he felt happy, ecstatic even. He was going to be a father.

"Is it really true?"

"Of course it is Maxy. Do you think I'd make something like this up?" She stepped closer to him. "I'm so sorry I didn't tell you sooner. We were so busy preparing for the show these past few days, I just never had the opportunity till now." She was met with more silence. "Maxy?"

She was taken by surprise when he wrapped her in an embrace and brought his lips to hers. She stiffened for a moment, then relaxed into the kiss, tears forming in her eyes.

When they finally broke the kiss, he continued to hold her closely. "I love you so much, and I think this is wonderful news." He felt her sign in his arms. "Are you doing alright?"

She sniffled. "Yes, I'm doing great." She rested her head on his chest. "I'm just so happy that you're happy. You had me worried there for a moment."

He smiled. "Just needed to take it all in." He ran a hand through her hair. "So, it seems we're expecting a child."

She laughed and held him tighter. "Yes, yes we are…We're having a baby, Maxy. We're gonna be parents…"

He kissed her on the head, and they held each other for a long time. Maxwell knew that he'd never forget this moment, and how Charlie could still surprise him in the best way possible.


	2. Chapter 2

A few months had passed since the two had learned of the upcoming addition to their family. Charlie had first gone to the doctor to confirm her pregnancy before she told Maxwell, and now it was time for her second one. Maxwell had insisted he walk with her to the hospital before they'd be forced to part ways.

"You sure you don't mind going yourself?"

"I'll be fine Maxy, it's just a check-up." She placed a hand on the small swell of her stomach as they walked along the sidewalk. "You know, just to make sure the baby's doing alright."

They stopped once they reached the outside of the hospital, and she turned to face her husband. "I'll come right over to the theater as soon as I get out. Promise."

He smiled at her. "Alright then, I'll be waiting for you."

She stood up on her toes to give him a quick peck on the cheek before heading in for her appointment. Not much later, she found herself in a sterilized room, sitting on the examination table, one hand tapping at her side and the other absentmindedly cradling her bump.

A few moments later, a nurse entered the room with a clipboard in her hand. She glanced at it before giving Charlie a warm smile. "Wonderful to see you again Mrs. Carter."

"Great to see you too." Charlie grinned back.

She took out a pen and sat down in a chair facing Charlie. "I take it your husband took the news well?"

She chuckled. "Yes, he did. A bit shocked at first, but he was happy."

"Good to hear. Now, let's begin." She clicked her pen. "How have you been feeling since your last visit?"

"Great. Way better now that the morning sickness has passed."

She jotted down a few notes. "And have you felt any movement lately?"

She smiled and glanced at her stomach. "Just some little fluttery ones every so often."

"Mm-hm. Those should become more frequent and noticeable as the baby develops. As of right now, it's not uncommon to feel some one movement one day and then nothing the next."

After answering some more questions, the nurse had Charlie stand so she could examine her belly and take a few measurements. Afterward, the nurse furrowed her brow slightly. "You said you were fourteen weeks along, correct?"

"Yes," she replied, slightly concerned, "what about it?"

"Hm," the nurse glanced back at her clipboard, "you seem to be just a little large for only being at fourteen weeks." She stood back up.

Charlie sat back down on the table. "Well, it's likely we could've gotten the conception date wrong."

"Perhaps." She picked up a stethoscope and came back over to her. "However, there's one thing I'd like to make sure of first before we settle with that conclusion." She put the buds of the stethoscope in her ears and placed the opposite end of it on Charlie's belly. A few silent moments passed as she moved the device around, then a small grin broke out on her face. "Ah, now I understand. Here." She gave the earbuds to Charlie.

She put them on and listened carefully. The nurse adjusted the stethoscope, and then she heard it: the pattering of a tiny heartbeat. She gasped softly at it. It was so quick, yet steady. The nurse moved the stethoscope to a different part of her stomach, and the heartbeat became fainter. Then, another heartbeat joined the first one, just as steady and rapid. Now it was Charlie's turn to furrow her brow. Another heartbeat? But that could only mean—

Her eyes widened as the realization hit her. "Oh my gosh…"

The nurse's smile grew as she stood back up. "Congratulations Mrs. Carter, it seems that you are expecting twins."

"Twins…" Still in a state of shock, she looked back down at her stomach and put a hand on it. "You're really sure?"

"There were definitely two heartbeats heard there." The nurse wrote a few more notes on her clipboard. "And don't worry, if there were the possibility of triplets we would have known by now."

Charlie breathed, and remained silent.

"I understand this may take some getting used to," the nurse continued, "but it's much better to find out now than during the delivery, right?"

"Yeah… I guess so…"

"So, now that we've established that, I suggest that you schedule a few more appointments along with the ones you already have. Pregnancies with multiples are usually monitored a bit more closely than a single one, just to assure the health of both you and the children."

She nodded, her head still swimming a bit.

"Additionally, I strongly recommend taking prenatal vitamins along with the healthy diet. Overall, the pregnancy will take a bit more work than we originally thought, but by judging how well you've been doing so far, that shouldn't be a problem."

She exited the hospital later that day, a bottle of vitamins in her hand. She glanced back at the building, then looked forward, and grinned. "Oh boy Maxy, you are in for the biggest surprise." She half walked-half jogged towards the theater, hardly able to contain her excitement.

Maxwell was on the stage going over his routine for what felt like umpteenth time when Charlie entered from the back of the theater. He grinned and wave to her as she trotted down the middle aisle. He smiled again as she came up onto the stage. "Hey dear— oof!" He was cut short when she suddenly tackled him in a big hug. He wrapped his arms around her. "Heh, you seem to be in a rather good mood."

She laughed into his shirt, then looked up at him. "I definitely am." She let go of him and took a small step back. "Maxy, there's something I need to tell you." She bounced up and down, practically bubbling with excitement.

He blinked at her antics, genuinely curious. "Well alright then, fire away."

She made a delighted squeak. "There were two!"

"What?"

"Sorry, I'm getting ahead of myself." She inhaled deeply, then exhaled. "So we listened for a heartbeat at the doctor's to see how the baby was doing, and instead of just one heartbeat, we heard two. Two!"

"Two heartbea—" His eyes widened. "Oh good Lord. _Twins_?"

She smiled widely and nodded, her eyes getting misty. "Twins. We've got twins on the way!" She bear-hugged him again.

He took a step back to catch her, then wrapped his arms around her and picked her up, the two of them laughing like a pair of love-struck fools. Any stagehands close-by had long since decided to occupy themselves with something in the back of the theater to let the couple have their moment together.

* * *

Charlie sat up in bed reading a book while Maxwell laid on his back next to her, staring up at the ceiling. "I still can't believe it," he spoke softly. "Twins..."

She chuckled softly. "Yeah, I had some trouble grasping it too." She set the book down and leaned back slightly. "The only reason the possibility came up was because she said I looked a bit large for how far along I am."

Maxwell sat up and placed a slender hand on her bump. "And yet you still look as radiant as ever." He leaned over and kissed her neck tenderly.

She blushed and pushed him away playfully. "Oh Maxy, ever the charmer."

"Simply stating what is true, my dear."

She laughed again and placed her hand on top of his on her belly. "Boy, I can't wait to tell Lottie. She is going to flip."

"I could imagine, if last time we spoke with her was any indication." He recalled the moment when they'd told Charlie's sister they were expecting. "I've never seen someone so elated in my life." He looked back towards her. "Except for us today."

"She was just excited, silly." She shifted to face him. "Come to think of it, don't you have a certain brother to tell?"

He sighed and laid back down on the bed, resuming his gaze on the ceiling. "Jack is never going to believe me."

"Can't say I blame him." She laid down next to him. "I mean, two brothers who both end up fathering twins? What are the odds?"

"Probably very low, no doubt." He sighed again. "I am definitely going to be asking for his advice in the future." The idea of parenting was already a foreign-enough concept to him. He looked over to her. "Do you think we're ready for this?"

He heard her breathe softly. "I don't know yet, Maxy. I'll admit, I'm nervous too." She rolled over to face him, and put her hands on her bump. "But at the same time, I've never been so excited for something in my life. I mean, the chances of twins are rare as it is, and I would have never thought it'd happen to us one day." She smiled. "Call me silly, but I truly think that we've been lucky, somehow."

He thought for a moment, then smiled. "You're right," he leaned down and kissed her belly, "we _are_ very lucky." He held her close in his arms, and they stayed like that for the rest of the night.


	3. Chapter 3

It wasn't long after they'd sent a letter to Wendy's family informing them of the news that they received an extremely excited response both congratulating them and saying that they should come to California to visit sometime. Considering Charlie was now almost halfway through her pregnancy and mobility was become increasingly difficult for her, and the fact that they'd likely not have time to travel after the twins were born, they decided to make preparations to visit Jack and his family as soon as they could, which happened to be the upcoming weekend.

Charlie was in the bedroom folding clothes to put in a suitcase, pausing every so often to feel for any particularly strong movements. Nothing so far though. She started to resume her fold when she felt a particularly strong bump from within her. Gasping softly, she dropped the clothing and brought her hands to her belly, hoping she hadn't just imagined what she'd felt. Surely enough, there was another strong bump underneath her hand.

She quickly looked towards the open doorway. "Maxy! Maxy come quick!" Charlie's voice echoed down from the bedroom.

Maxwell darted up the stairs, worried that something was wrong. He rushed into the bedroom and came to a stop. "Charlie? What is it?"

Charlie sat on the bed and smiled at him, her hands on her rounded belly. She motioned to him. "Come."

He came over to the bed and sat down next to her, still unsure of what was going on. "Is everything alright?"

"Shhh…" She turned towards him and took his hand and placed it on her belly. "Wait for it…"

They waited in silence for a few moments, then he felt it. A solid kick underneath his hand, followed by another one, and then another.

He grinned excitedly. "They kicked!"

She smiled again. "I know! They've moved around before, but this is the first time they've actually kicked!" She inhaled slightly and put a hand on her abdomen after one of the twins kicked her particularly hard. "Apparently, they're pretty strong too."

Maxwell laughed and rubbed her stomach gently. "Hey there little ones," he spoke softly to them, "go easy on your mother now. She's been working hard to assure you two come into the world as healthy as possible."

She blushed slightly. "It hasn't always been easy, but I already know it'll be worth it."

The kicks gradually eased up as the twins got comfortable once more. Charlie breathed a sigh of relief. "I think they've finally decided to settle down."

He kept his hand on his stomach as he listened. "Does it hurt? When they kick like that?"

"Not too much, surprisingly," she replied. "I mean, I can certainly feel it, but it only seems to hurt a little when they get me rather hard." She put her hand on his, and looked at her stomach for a silent moment. "Can you believe it though? Just a few more months and then we're gonna be _parents_!" Her last word came out a few octaves higher than the rest of the sentence. She giggled at herself. "Pardon my enthusiasm."

He put his hand under her chin and brought her in for a kiss. "I love your enthusiasm."

She giggled. "Thanks, I love it too." She scooted on the bed so he could sit next to her. "So, are you almost ready for the trip on Friday?"

"Just about." He sat down on the bed. "Do you still feel like you'll be able to travel? Because we can always tell them—"

"Of course I still wanna go, Maxy," she cut him off, "we might not get another chance to visit anytime soon. That, and I'm sure Wendy will want to see us." She paused, then sighed. "I hope she took the news well… After hearing what happened to Abigail, I just sometimes wonder…"

He put a hand on her shoulder. "Jack said in the letter that she was excited, though I think we'll have to talk to her ourselves to really find out."

She smiled slightly. "Yeah, I suppose so."

Friday came quickly, and they were soon on a train ride headed for the town where Jack's family lived. It was a short cab ride from the train station to their house, located just off of the town next to a grassy plain, which was connected to the edge of an evergreen forest. Maxwell tipped the cab driver, then came around to the side and opened the door.

"It's beautiful out here." Charlie couldn't help but admire the landscape as he helped her out of the cab.

"Yes, they managed to get a rather nice piece of property out here." He replied as he gathered their luggage. They walked from the road to a cobblestone path, which led to a simple, yet elegant white house.

She looked at her husband as they made their way to the household. "Does Jack still know you as William?"

"Ah, yes," he kicked himself mentally for almost forgetting that, "I never told him about my name change. He's always known me as William, so I supposed it was best to keep it that way."

"Hm."

He set the luggage down on the front porch as Charlie rang the doorbell. A moment later, the door opened to reveal a middle-aged man almost as tall as Maxwell, with short, dark hair that was streaked with grey and white. He grinned as he recognized the couple standing in front of him. "Will!"

"Great to see you again, Jack." Maxwell took his hand to shake it, but was instead pulled in for an unexpected hug.

"Feels like I haven't seen you in ages, brother!" Jack laughed as he released him, then turned to Charlie. "And Charlie, always a pleasure to see you as well."

Charlie laughed as he brought her in for a smaller, much gentler hug. "It's great to see you too, Jack."

"And if you don't mind me saying, you look absolutely stunning."

"Oh gosh," she blushed slightly, "thank you."

"No problem at all." He answered, then he seemed to remember that they were still outside. "Oh, where are my manners? Come on in!" He opened the door all the way and led them into the house. "You can just set your suitcases anywhere, and then we can head into the living room. Evelyn just got done making tea."

As if on cue, a woman who looked to be in her mid-40s entered from another doorway, her greyish-blonde hair tied up in a bun, with a tea-tray in her arms. She gasped as she saw Charlie and Maxwell coming down the hallway. "Jack, you didn't tell me they were here already!"

"They just arrived, Eve." Jack looked back at them, then went over to one of the chairs in the living room and sat down.

Maxwell took a seat while Charlie took off her coat. "Thank you again for the hospitality, Jack."

"Hey, what are siblings for?" He laughed, then leaned forward to take a tea cup when Evelyn set the tray on the coffee table. "I have to tell you though, I thought you were joshing us when we opened that letter and saw you guys were having twins." He paused to take a sip. "Must run in the family!"

"Yes," Maxwell took a cup for himself, "believe me, we were just as surprised as you."

"So Charlie," Evelyn sat down in the chair across from them, "how have you been doing so far?"

"Great," she smiled as she sat back down next to Maxwell, "we felt them kick for the first time a few days ago."

"Ah, it's an exciting moment isn't it?"

She nodded and put a hand on her belly, then remembered something. "Now that I'm thinking about it, how did Wendy react to the news?"

Jack thought for a moment. "She took it well, actually. Surprisingly well." He paused again. "Oh! That reminds me. Charlie, she mentioned to us that she'd like to chat with you one-on-one when she got home from school today. I'm not sure what she's up to but…" He shrugged his shoulders.

Charlie smiled. "Oh, it won't be a problem at all, Jack. I'd love to talk to her."

Jack smiled back. "I appreciate it. It's sometimes hard to tell what's going on in that mind of her's."


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello again everyone! Thank you all for being so patient as I worked on this next chapter! I also like to send out a thank you for all the great feedback I've been given for this story as well. I've changed the rating on this story from K+ to T just because this chapter contains some very slight suggestiveness. Nothing explicit at all though! Just a small heads-up. And as usual, please enjoy!**

* * *

The four adults conversed until Wendy came home from school. Wendy invited Charlie to come with her to visit Abigail, to which she agreed. Maxwell and Jack decided to take this opportunity to chat with each other one-on-one.

"So, I take it the magic show business has been treating you well?" Jack asked Maxwell, his hands casually resting in his pockets as the two men strolled along a path around the house together.

"It has. Our last act was quite the success, if I don't mind saying." He knew his brother had been skeptical when he'd first told him he was coming to America to be a magician.

"So I've heard." He replied. "Must be an exciting job."

"It certainly is."

They walked together in silence before Jack spoke up again. "I take it Charlie took the news of twins well?"

Maxwell nodded. "To say she was excited would be an understatement. How did you and Evelyn react when you found out you were going to have twins?"

"Us? Well, I was pretty happy myself. Eve was nervous at first, but she came around." He sighed. "It really is something when you see them for the first time. Probably one of the happiest moments of my life." He glanced at Maxwell, grinning. "If you don't get what I mean, you will." He looked back at the path they were on. "So, you sure you won't have a performance or anything when Charlie's at the hospital? I've heard the show business can run on a pretty strict schedule."

"I fully intend to be there when my children are born." He replied. "Unlike some performers, we've got more say in when and where we do our acts. That and I intimidate them." He added.

"Really? You? Intimidating?" Jack laughed, then paused when he was met with a steely look from his brother. "Oh. I see. I think the tallness has something to do with it."

"Charming." He replied dryly.

"Oh come on, I was kidding." Jack laughed again. "But all joking aside now, I really am happy for you two. It's great to hear you've finally gotten around to starting a family."

He paused. "Gotten around? What are you trying to imply?"

"Nothing, really." Jack put his hands up. "It's just been so many years since you told me you were coming to America. I was starting to wonder if you'd ever settle down."

He crossed his arms. "Jack, where are you going with this?"

"All I'm saying is that it's been a long time, Will." Jack retorted. "And we're not exactly getting any younger. I was beginning to worry that you were gonna be…you know…" He gesticulated a bit. "…past your prime."

"Past my _prime_? _Really_, Jack?" Maxwell stopped. "I appreciate your concern, but I'll have you know that my 'prime' is perfectly fine." He continued walking. "Not that it's much of your business anyway."

Jack put his hands up again. "I know, I know, it's not… Sorry about that, it sounded much better in my head."

"Evidently." He replied. "And if you think my age is going to be an issue during the upbringing of our children, you've got another thing coming as well."

"That one hadn't even occurred to me." He chuckled.

Maxwell sighed. It was time for a change of subject. "How has Wendy been keeping? You mentioned that she was excited."

"Yes, I did." Jack responded. "I mean, I assumed she was excited. She certainly didn't react negatively. I'll admit though, she's always been a bit difficult to read. She's been like ever since Abigail passed away…"

He paused again, not intending to bring up bad memories. "I'm sorry about what happened to Abigail."

"It's alright." Jack smiled solemnly. "Sometimes things happen that are out of your control, and there's just nothing you can do about it." He paused a moment. "The child psychiatrist we saw told us Wendy was just going through a phase of mourning, and that it was just her way of coping. Still, it pained us to see her like that."

"But she's gotten better since then, hasn't she?"

"Oh yes, much better. She's not quite the same girl as before, but she's definitely better than she used to be. She finally started to come around after the time she went missing a few years ago."

"Ah, yes. I remember you told me about that."

"It was the strangest thing too." He continued. "Almost as if she disappeared right off the face of the earth."

"Funny," Maxwell put his hands in his pockets, "I wouldn't know what that'd be like." The two men walked together in silence back towards the house, simply taking in the scenery and enjoying each other's company.

* * *

Charlie sat on a picnic blanket, with Wendy at her side. They rested in the shade of the tree on the hill, next to Abigail's grave. Wendy invited her out here to visit her sister, and also have a chat. Charlie inhaled deeply, taking in the sweet scent of the grass around them. "It's beautiful out here."

"Mh-hm." Wendy replied. "The view out here is lovely."

She glanced at Wendy next to her. "You said you… wanted to talk to me about something?"

"Yes, I did…" Wendy continued to look out at the forest in front of them. "But before I start, I'd like to tell you a short story." She looked to Charlie. "Do you know what happened to Abigail?"

Charlie shook her head slowly. "No."

"Well, it went something like this." She looked back out at the view. "We were still young and innocent then, without a care in the world. Then, one day, Abigail got sick. So sick that she needed to go to the hospital and stay there."

She leaned forward and picked a flower from the grass, as if she were talking about something as casual as the weather.

"I didn't understand the seriousness of the situation then. I couldn't understand why Mom and Dad were so distraught. They told me she had a disease called cancer, though they didn't know what kind it was yet."

Charlie felt her stomach drop, knowing where this story was headed.

Wendy twirled the flower in her fingers. "Turns out it was the bad kind of cancer, the kind where they don't expect the patient to survive." She set the flower down. "I was still so naïve back then. I thought that if I remained positive, she'd somehow get miraculously better." She sighed. "You can probably guess what happened next. Abigail's condition continued to worsen, until one day the doctors said she just fell asleep… and didn't wake back up."

Charlie lowered her head, her hand subconsciously tracing small circles on her rounded belly. Even though she knew the ending of the story, it was still sad to hear.

"I guess the reason I wanted to tell you this was to… Well, I mean…" She struggled to find the correct words, something she wasn't used to. "What I want to say is that I'm really happy for you and Maxwell." She looked at Charlie. "And I can promise you that I'll be the best cousin I possibly can for your children. I can't promise I won't let anything happen to them, but I _will_ be there for them."

Charlie's hand rested on her chest as she listened to Wendy, then she smiled and scooted closer to her. "Oh, Wendy… I don't know what to say…" She wrapped her arms around her and hugged her softly. "Thank you so much for telling me about this. I already know you're going to be a great cousin."

Wendy smiled, and hugged her back. "Really?"

She chuckled. "Really."

Just then, a bird call echoed throughout the forest, making the two look in its direction. There was a moment of silence, then the noise sounded again.

Wendy smiled and stood up. "Hang on." She cupped her hands to her mouth and made the same bird call. A few moments passed, then a figure emerged from the edge of the woods and bounded towards the hill.

Charlie watched the scene curiously, then smiled when she saw who it was coming towards them.

Wendy walked back over to Charlie and sat down next to her again. "Hello Webber."

The spider-boy grinned as he trotted up to them. "Hi Wendy! Hi Miss Charlie! Oh and hi Abigail!" He came to a stop in front of them. "Mind if I join you guys?"

"Not at all." Charlie grinned at him. She remembered meeting Webber when they were still in Maxwell's alternate world. She didn't know him too well, but if Wendy trusted him, she would too.

"I saw you guys on the hill, so I thought I'd send you the signal to make sure it was safe to come out." Webber explained as he sat down next to them.

"So that was you making the bird call then?" Charlie asked him.

"Uh-huh!" He grinned.

"It's our way of communicating to make sure the coast is clear." Wendy continued.

"Oh…" Charlie nodded in understanding. "I take it that your parents aren't aware then?"

Wendy nodded. "They have no idea that someone's living out in the woods near our house."

Webber nodded as well. "I'm not sure how well they'd react to Wendy having a friend who's part spider, but we don't really mind. We still get to hang out all the time after school!" He grinned again.

"Is that so?" Charlie grinned and looked over to Wendy, who decided to take a sudden interest in the picnic blanket they were sitting on.

"So are you really gonna have twins Miss Charlie?" Webber looked at her excitedly.

She glanced down at her belly, then smiled at him. "Without a doubt. I had it confirmed during a visit to the doctor a few months ago."

He gasped joyfully. "Oh my gosh, that's like, two times the fun of having one baby! I remember when one of the goats my dad raised had twins, it was so exciting!"

She laughed. "Yes, I can imagine. You should have seen Maxwell's face when I first told him, though. I thought he was going to faint on the spot."

Wendy couldn't help but chuckle at the mental image. "It would've been amusing if he had."

"Yeah." Webber leaned back up against the tree behind them. "I'm glad we're all on good terms with him now, too."

Wendy nodded. "Well, when you go through such an experience as we all did, it's difficult to not form some kind of bond to each other."

"I agree." Charlie added. She, Maxwell, and many other survivors still sent letters to each other, even though they had all gone their separate ways many years ago.

Charlie looked up towards the sun. It was definitely past noon. She looked back to Wendy and Webber next to her. "Were we supposed to get back to the house at some time? I wouldn't want to keep your parents waiting."

"My mom said she'd call us when dinner was ready." Wendy replied. "Which reminds me. Webber, do you think you'll have time to leave before anyone comes out here?"

"Heh, that'll be no problem." He put his hands behind his head causally. "The nice thing about having multiple eyes is that we can spot someone coming from a mile away!"

Suddenly a voice called out to them. "Wendy? Are you there?" It sounded close.

The trio froze. From the bottom of the hill, they could see Maxwell and Jack making their way towards them. They weren't close enough to see them, but they would be soon.

"Oh…" Webber jumped up his sitting spot and desperately looked around for a place to hide. There wasn't enough time for him to run back to the forest. Thinking quickly, he said, "Uh! I'll talk to you guys later today!" He leapt onto the trunk of the tree and scampered up it as quickly as he could. He had just disappeared amongst the leaves and branches when Maxwell and Jack appeared over the hill.

"Ah, there you are." Jack strolled up to them. "Enjoying the lovely weather, I see?"

"Absolutely." Charlie smiled at him, trying to look relaxed and casual. Wendy nodded in agreement.

"We were just about to head back to the house to help make dinner." Maxwell walked up to Charlie and reached out a hand out towards her. "Care to join us?"

Charlie smiled and took his hand as he helped her to her feet. "I'd love to."

Jack looked at his daughter next. "Wendy? How about you?"

Wendy glanced at the tree behind her. "Um, I think I'll stay out here for a few more minutes. I promise I won't be long."

"Alright then, let's get going." Jack turned to walk back towards the house.

Charlie gave Wendy one more smile. "It was great talking with you, Wendy. I'll see you back at the house." She took Maxwell's arm and they walked down the hill together.

Wendy gave them a small wave as they disappeared once again.

Charlie glanced back behind her once they were a good distance away from the tree. She managed to catch a glimpse of Wendy looking up at the tree as Webber climbed his way back down, then she looked back at Maxwell, giving him a small smile.

"Did you two have a good conversation?"

"Oh yes," she replied happily, "we definitely did."

* * *

After dinner was eaten, the people of the household conversed in the living room for a while. Soon, it was time for bed. Charlie and Maxwell made themselves comfortable in the guest bedroom, while Wendy retired to her room, and her parents to theirs. Charlie rested in the bed, a hand gently stroking her stomach as she waited for her husband to join her.

He came over to the bed, and flopped down onto it next to her, sighing.

She laughed softly. "So, how did your day go with Jack?"

"It was…interesting, to say the least. I can safely conclude that he hasn't changed one bit."

"Oh really?"

"Yes," he sighed again, "you should have been there for the conversation we had."

"Hmm. Sounds interesting." She giggled, rolling over slightly to face him. "Care to enlighten me?"

"…You're going to laugh at me when I tell you."

"What makes you so sure of that?"

"Because..." He turned on his side to face her. "He mentioned he was glad that I'd finally decided to settle down. When I asked him to elaborate, he expressed worry that I may have been…" He grimaced, breaking eye contact. "…past my prime." He looked back at her.

Charlie stared at him for a second, then put her hands over her mouth. "Oh my gosh…" It was her turn to break eye contact, letting out a small squeak.

Maxwell sighed. "You see? I told you that you'd laugh at me."

"No. I'm not…" She replied between a fit of giggles. "He really said that to you?"

"Word for word."

She put her hand over her mouth again, stifling another giggle, her other hand on her belly. "Wow, I don't know what to say."

He couldn't help but smile at how adorable she was. "Yes, but after growing up with him you tend to get used to it."

She chuckled softly. "Well, I guess we can safely say that we managed to prove him wrong."

"Yes." He laughed, then turned towards her, grinning. "And I'd bet we could prove him wrong again…" He moved closer to her on the bed and put a hand on her waist.

"Oh, Maxy…" She giggled again as he began planting soft kisses on her neck, slowly working his way down to her shoulder. She made another small noise. "Maxy…" She put her hand on his chest. "We shouldn't. Not right now. I'd hate to disturb Wendy or her parents. We're their guests…"

He sighed once again, accepting defeat. "Alright then…"

She smiled at him, then leaned forward and kissed him on the nose. "I'll make it up to you. Promise."

He smiled back at her, then leaned downward and placed a hand on her belly. "How have the little ones been doing?"

"Great." She replied, putting a hand on top of his. "They were active today. Didn't settle down until an hour ago."

"Well then, I think we'd better be getting rest as well if we wish to keep up with them."

She chuckled once more. "Agreed."

She turned over to her other side, letting Maxwell put his arms around her, and they drifted off into a peaceful slumber together.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi again everyone! I am finally out of school here for the summer, which means I should have the time to update this thing. I'm hoping to be able to conclude this fairly soon. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed this so far! Here we go!**

* * *

Maxwell and Charlie had to head home the next day. It saddened Wendy that her relatives couldn't stay longer, but she also knew that they had some more important obligations to tend to.

"You'll promise you'll let us know when the babies are born?"

"Promise." Charlie grinned as she gave Evelyn one final hug.

"And we'll be able to come and visit sometime, right?" Wendy chimed in.

"Of course." Maxwell responded as he checked his watch. "Now, I'd hate to cut things short, but we should really be going if we wish to catch our train."

"Well then, we'd better not keep you guys waiting any longer." Jack shook his brother's hand. "Thank you so much for coming out here you two."

"Thank _you_ for letting us come and visit!" Charlie gave the family another smile as she and Maxwell stepped off the porch together.

"No problem at all!" Jack waved at them. "Take care, and good luck!"

* * *

_Three Months Later_

Maxwell climbed the steps to the house's attic, and switched on the lights.

Now that he had taken a break from performing, it'd finally given him some extra spare time to get things done. Charlie had gone on maternity leave several months earlier, leaving him to continue his performances with a substitute lady assistant. The substitute was talented, but the shows obviously lacked the on-stage chemistry that he and Charlie shared.

Altogether, he was glad to be taking a break from performing. Charlie's due date was right around the corner, and he wanted to be there for her when the time came.

He walked further into the attic and surveyed the mass of items that filled it. Back to the task at hand. He had specifically set this morning aside to go into the attic and search around for anything that might be useful for him and Charlie. There were bound to be some old toys or clothes up here that would be perfect for their babies. He just needed to find them.

Four boxes and two bookshelves later, he hadn't had quite as much luck as he'd hoped for. He'd found some children's books on the shelves, which he'd stacked in a pile, but not much else.

He sighed and moved on to the next box. Maybe this one would be more promising.

What he found instead when he opened the box made him pause.

Inside was a multitude of items, all of which he recognized from his past. He reached in and picked up a stack of tattered papers, the only remains of Codex Umbra after it was destroyed.

He flipped through the pages. They mostly consisted of various notes and sketches of other-worldly creatures and objects. He stopped at one particular page with a scrawled image of dark creature on it. A terrorbeak.

He remembered the night when one of those things had appeared in his study, only to disappear after a few minutes. It felt so long ago, before he even knew that those things were, what _They_ were. He set the papers down next to him. He didn't wish to recall those times.

Anything else in the box consisted of other trinkets that were of no use. Some feathers, a purple gem, a top hat, even some old pieces of thulecite. Nothing that he was looking for. Seeing the items made him briefly wonder what happened to his night armor, though it was likely left behind in the other world from which it had originally come.

He stood up from the box, surveying the attic once more. Now wasn't the time for dwelling on the past, he told himself. He'd come up here for a different reason. He put the items he'd found back in the box and went back to work.

* * *

Charlie lay on the couch, flipping through a book of names, one arm draped across her very large belly. She chewed her lip as she skimmed the pages, dog-earing any ones with names she liked.

"Hmm. Darlene, Diane, Donna…" She lifted the book to look at her belly. "Any of those sound good?" Very little movement came from either of the twins.

She smiled and flipped to the next page. "Yeah, nothing was standing out to me either."

She had to admit, finding a good name for just one baby was difficult enough. With two bundles of joy on the way, she and Maxwell had to work extra hard to prepare for their arrival, including the task of picking out multiple names. They had decided to pick up to four names total: two boys' names and two girls' names, which took into account all of the possible gender combinations they could be having.

They'd decided to both think of boy and girl names that they liked, and run them by each other until they decided on their top four. So far, Charlie liked William as a boy's name, after Maxwell's namesake, and she was still searching for a girl's name. She had yet to hear what names her husband had come up with.

She flipped through the pages some more, and then stopped at one. _Dorothy._

The story of _The Wizard of Oz _came into her mind, and she remembered how much she loved reading that book when she was young. Her sister let her take the book with her when she first left home. For whenever she got homesick, she'd said. That very copy was currently sitting on the book shelf in the nursery they'd made.

She smiled, "Hm. Dorothy." She set the book down and put her hand on her stomach. "What do you think of that one?"

Fluttery bits of movement started up within her. She grinned as tiny feet kicked against her sides, making small bumps under her skin that disappeared as quickly as they had come.

She laughed, "You guys like that one?" She was answered with some more kicks before they settled back down. She sighed, happy they weren't feeling too active today. "Well, Dorothy it is then."

She rested on the couch in content silence until she heard a familiar voice call out to her. "Charlie?"

"Living room, Maxy." She picked the name book back up as he walked over to her.

"Ah, there you are." Maxwell smiled as he spotted her on the couch. He took off his coat as he came over, and knelt on the floor beside her. He kissed her on the cheek, "How are you doing?"

"Just fine, thank you." She smiled and nuzzled him.

He turned his attention to her belly and put a hand on it. "And the twins?"

"Just as well." She put her hand on his. "How was the attic?"

"Not bad." He admitted. "I found some more books while I was up there."

"Hmm." She nodded.

"So," he leaned closer to her, "what have you been up to?"

She smiled. "The twins have been helping me pick out names."

That got a chuckle out of him. "Is that so?"

"Mm-hm. In fact, if you'd ask me, I might just tell 'em to ya."

"Well then," he rested his chin on his hand, "what are these names that the three of you have picked out?"

She smiled again and glanced back at her stomach. "Well, as you know, I still like William as a boy's name."

"Mm-hm…"

"And as for a girl's name, what do you think of Dorothy?"

He tilted his head slightly. "Dorothy."

"Yeah. I saw it in the book, and it reminded me of the Wizard of Oz, and the twins liked it, so…" She trailed off.

He smiled. "I think it's a lovely name."

She grinned. "Really? Great! Now, how about you? Got any good names?"

"Well," he began, "after doing some reading, I've decided that I'm rather partial to the name, 'Amelia'."

"Amelia." She repeated. "I think it's beautiful. And what about for a boy?"

He thought for a moment. "James."

"So, that makes it Dorothy and Amelia for the girls, and William and James for the boys." She listed the names off on her fingers as she spoke. "Perfect! I'm glad we finally got that worked out."

He kissed her again. "As am I."

Suddenly, Charlie inhaled sharply and put a hand on her stomach.

Maxwell straightened up, immediately concerned. "Charlie? Are you-"

"I'm fine, Maxy." She said, slightly out of breath. "They're just kicking a bit."

"Ah." He relaxed a bit and put his hand back on her belly. "I just thought for a moment that…"

"That they were coming?" She chuckled. "Sorry for scaring you like that." She rested both of her hands on either side of her stomach. "Luckily, we've still got about ten days left." She gave him another glance. "Although, the doctor did say that twins are kind of notorious for coming early, so that's one thing to keep in mind."

He took her hand. "I know. I guess I'm just…"

"A little nervous?" She put her other hand on his. "Well, I'd say it's perfectly fine to feel like that. I have to admit," she looked at her stomach, "I'm a bit nervous too. I mean, I've never had a baby before, and here I am about to have two. And I'll admit, the thought does scare me a little." She paused, then smiled. "But at the same time, I know it's gonna be worth it."

He smiled back. "I think so too."

"Mm-hm. It'll be so nice to finally have them here. Like, here as in being able to hold them, and tell 'em how much we love them and…" she sighed, "I'm just really excited."

He kissed her cheek. "I know. And I can't wait for them to arrive either." He started to stand up. "But in the meantime, would you like to go for a walk?"

Charlie laughed and propped herself up on her elbows. "I'd love to, but our upcoming progeny's keeping me from getting up from this sofa."

"Hm. I've got a better idea." He stooped down and picked her up bridal-style, much to her surprise.

"Really Maxy," she laughed as he carried her up the stairs, "I may be pregnant, but I'm not totally immobile."

"Just trying to help in any way I can, dearest. That and I know you've said your ankles have been sore."

She smiled and rested her head on his chest. "Well, you got me there."

* * *

Maxwell flipped through the newspaper they had found on their porch. The local paper had been fraught with gossip over their upcoming offspring.

"It seems we've made the headline." He flipped back to the first page. "_Twins a Possibility for Magician and Assistant Duo_." He read aloud.

He scoffed slightly as he continued to read the article. "Rumors heard around town suggest that the well-loved magic duo, Charlie and Maxwell Carter, could be expecting twins. While the couple has yet to confirm this information with the press, many townsfolk are already buzzing with excitement over this new possibility and are already guessing the gender or genders of the new arrival."

Charlie chuckled as she buttoned up her red trench coat. "Well, they certainly aren't wrong about twins being a possibility."

"Hm. If you ask me, they should probably just mind their own business." He folded the paper and tossed it aside. "Really, can nothing remain private anymore?"

"They're just curious, Maxy. It's their job." She put on her red hat and came over to him. "Besides, the truth will get out soon enough, so I wouldn't worry about it."

He sighed. "True." He took her hands in his. "Now, are you ready to go?"

"Of course I am. Let's get going!" She linked her arm around his and almost dragged him out of the front door.

He quickly regained his balance as they reached the front porch. "Now Charlie, let's be careful here." He brought his arms around her sides to support her as they walked down the steps.

They walked together on the path around their house. For the babies' sake, Charlie had agreed with Maxwell to stay on the current trail and not stray from it.

A cool breeze swept through the landscape, making her pull her trench coat closer to herself. Autumn was just starting to take over from summer, and soon winter would be upon them once again.

"Do you think there'll be snow like last year?" She asked him.

"Possibly." He answered. "We did get a solid foot of it last Christmas."

She smiled and put a hand on her belly, which was still rather prominent even after she put on her coat. "They're going to love Christmas, I can tell."

He slowed to a stop and leaned down to put his hands on her belly. "Especially when they learn about all the presents we're going to get them." He chuckled.

She put her hands on his. "Maxy, we've talked about this. We don't want to spoil them."

He stood back up and took her arm so they could continue walking. "I always thought Christmas was going to be the one exception to that rule."

She rolled her eyes playfully. "Well, maybe it could be."

Maxwell quietly entertained himself with ideas for what he'd get his children for Christmas, until he felt Charlie slow her pace down. "Charlie?" He asked, looking down at her. "You doing alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine." She answered. "My back has just been a bit sore lately, but I think the walk is helping."

"Your back?" His eyes widened as he stopped to face her. "Charlie, the doctor said that having a sore back could be a sign that-"

"I know what the doctor said, Maxy." She put up a hand to stop him from interrupting. "My back has been sore all week. It's just from the extra weight I've been carrying around."

He took a breath. "Alright then, if you're sure."

She put her hand on his shoulder. "Yes, I'm absolutely-"

She suddenly paused, her body tense.

Maxwell immediately leaned down towards her. "Charlie? Darling?"

She stayed silent for a moment longer, then brought a hand to her stomach and took a shaky breath. "I… I think that was a contraction."


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello once again everyone! Sorry about the massive cliffhanger there, but here's the next part! There may only be one part after this one, possibly two. If you guys have ideas for what you want me to write about once this little series is over, please let me me know! Otherwise, on with the story!**

* * *

"W-What?!" Maxwell took hold of her arms, glancing between her face and her middle. "You mean they're coming? Now?!" He felt his heart start to race. "But it's ten days early!"

"I know, but I told you that twins tend to come early." Charlie replied, trying to remain the more-level headed member of the group. "Now, I need you to-"

"Oh, this is bad." He stepped back from her and started to pace back and forth, his hands behind his head. "What do we do? What do we _do_?"

She took a step towards him, trying to calm him. "Maxy, if you could-"

"I was expecting we'd already be at the hospital when the time came! That way we'd be-"

"_Maxy_!" She gently took his face in her hands, bringing him down to her level. "Before we can do anything, _you_ need to calm down."

"Calm down?" He asked and put his hands on hers. "Charlie, you're having a baby. _Two babies_, to be exact! Forgive me if I'm finding it a bit difficult to stay calm here."

"I know, I know, sweetie." She caressed his cheek. "But they're not coming this very instant. I just felt one contraction, so there's no reason to start panicking."

He stared at her for a moment longer, then took a deep breath and exhaled. "Okay. What do you propose we do?"

She gave him a small smile, glad he was finally starting to come to his senses. "We go back to the house and get ready to go to the hospital."

It took a fair amount of effort for Maxwell to stay calm as they walked back to the house, but he remained as intact as he could for Charlie's sake. He was still almost overcome with worry whenever he felt her wince as another contraction took its toll on her body. He helped her back into the house, then immediately got to work on preparing for the trip to the hospital.

Charlie changed into a simple, comfortable dress, pausing only to wait out any particularly strong pains.

"Doctor McConnell said we can wait here until the contractions get stronger and closer together." She explained to him as they sat on their bed together.

"Stronger?" He asked, slightly concerned. "How much stronger are they going to get?"

"If the books I've read are any indication, a lot." She replied, squeezing his hand. "But for right now, we just need to keep waiting."

It was almost six hours later. Charlie had spent the majority of the time resting in their bed, and taking small naps between contractions.

Maxwell never left her side during the time. "How are you doing now?" He asked her, checking the clock on their wall.

"Okay." She took a breath as she stroked her large belly. "They're definitely getting closer together."

He put a hand on her stomach. "Do you think we should go soon?"

"Maybe." She answered. "We might be able to wait it out just a little- Agh!" She suddenly doubled over and wrapped her arms around her middle.

"Charlie?!" He reached out to support her.

She took several deep breaths, then looked at him worriedly. "I- I think we'd better get to the hospital."

* * *

The waiting room receptionist was just ten minutes into her shift when a well-dressed, almost comedically tall man came running through the hospital's front doors.

He darted up to her desk, panting rather hard.

She adjusted her glasses on her face, slightly bewildered. "Can I help you, sir?"

"My wife…is having a baby." He wheezed between breaths. "Need to see… Doctor McConnell."

"Ah." She responded and picked up a clipboard and a pen. "Could I get your wife's name?"

"Charlie." He stated, having started to catch his breath. "Charlie Carter."

"Carter?" She paused, glancing up at him. "As in, the wife of the Amazing Maxwell himself?"

He sighed, his hands raised in exasperation. "Yes, you got me." He then leaned in closer to her and lowered his voice. "But unless you want every journalist in town to come flooding in here, I think it'd be in everyone's best interest to keep this on the down-low."

Her eyes widened as she lifted her own hands in defense. "Oh no! Of course Mr. Carter. I completely understand." She scribbled a few notes on her clipboard. "I'll send for Doctor McConnell right away. If you could just help your wife inside here, we'll take care of everything else."

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you. Thank you very much." He didn't wait for a response as he turned and ran back to the doors and outside.

He sprinted back to their car, pausing briefly to catch his breath again. "I'm getting too old for this kind of thing." He muttered to himself, then opened the side door.

Charlie sat in the passenger seat, her hands rubbing small circles on her stomach. She cringed from the pain as she looked at him. "Well? What did they say?" She asked breathily.

"The doctor's going to see you as soon as possible." He said, reaching out to support her. "We just need to get you inside."

He ever so carefully helped her out of the car. "Do you think you can walk?"

"I, I'm not sure if I- AAH! Oh God!" She clutched her stomach again and clenched her eyes shut.

"Oh no, oh no, it's okay! It's alright!" He held onto her. "I can carry you." He quickly scooped her up in his arms. "It's going to be okay. I promise." He spoke to her softly, although he was also talking to himself as well.

Where he found the strength to carry his heavily pregnant wife all the way into the hospital, he'd never truly know. Although, the adrenalin rush that had been coursing through him ever since Charlie went into labor likely had something to do with it.

Charlie whimpered and buried her face into his chest as he carried her. "It hurts…"

He held her close as they approached the front doors. "I know, darling. I know it does. But just remember, when this is all over you'll be holding your children in your arms. You've been dreaming about them for so long, and now they're finally going to be here."

She took several deep breaths, and relaxed ever so slightly in his arms.

When they finally entered the hospital, there was already a nurse with a wheelchair waiting for them. Maxwell made a beeline for her and carefully eased Charlie into the chair.

Before he could say anything to her, the back door swung open and Dr. McConnell walked in. He was a middle-aged man with salt-and-pepper graying hair. While a bit softspoken at times, he was very experienced, having delivered more children than any other doctor at the hospital.

"Ah, Mister Carter." McConnell smiled at him and shook his hand. "I had a feeling you two might be coming down here."

"Yes," Maxwell answered, praying the conversation wouldn't take long, "it seems the twins decided to take us by surprise.

"Mm." He nodded. "What's even more surprising is how common it is with twin cases. That being said, there shouldn't be anything to worry about. Now," he turned his attention to Charlie, "we'd better go inside and get started."

He looked back at Maxwell. "Mister Carter, we're going to need you to wait out here."

Maxwell felt his stomach drop. The idea of Charlie being carted off somewhere else to give birth without him troubled him greatly, but hospitals had policies that needed to be followed.

"Understood." He responded. "But before you go…" He knelt down onto his knees in front of Charlie.

She gazed back at him, her expression mixed with pain and fear, not saying a word.

He took her hand in his and brought the other one to her cheek. "Charlie, no matter what happens, you will get through it. I know you can." His forehead rested against hers. "You are the bravest, strongest person I know, and I love you." He kissed her forehead. "I love you so much."

She breathed. "I love you too..."

He kissed her once more. "I'll see you very soon, I promise."

Doctor McConnell gave him one more reassuring glance before he, Charlie, and the nurse pushing the wheelchair disappeared behind the hospital doors.

As soon as they were gone, Maxwell walked over to the nearest chair, and slumped into it. All of the worrying, all of the running around had finally caught up to him, and he was exhausted. At least he knew Charlie was in good hands.

He breathed again and looked up at the ceiling, trying to process the blur of events that had unfolded before his eyes. He was going to be a father.

The abstract concept of parenthood had stuck with him since the day Charlie told him they were expecting, but now it was about to become a reality. Was he ready? Could you ever be ready for something like this?

Maybe that's the point. He thought to himself. Maybe you're never truly ready.

He stood back up. Now wasn't the time to be thinking of this sort of thing. He walked back out through the front doors of the hospital in search of the nearest pay phone. There was something he needed to do.

* * *

Maxwell tapped the side of the phone as it dialed. He hoped he wasn't calling them at an inopportune time, mostly because he wanted to get this over and done with.

The phone rang three times, then a woman's voice clicked onto the other end. "_Hello_?"

"Hello, Charlotte." Maxwell answered. "It's me, Maxwell."

"_Maxwell? What a pleasant surprise!_" The voice answered cheerfully. "_To what do I owe this call_?"

"Well, you see," he wasn't too sure how to begin, "I'm calling from the hospital right now."

An audible gasp was heard. "_You mean…_"

"Yes. They took Charlie inside not too long ago."

A shriek of unbridled excitement rang from the phone. He jumped and held the device an arm's length away from himself, flinching at the shrill sound.

"_OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH, Maxwell! That is so EXCITING!_"

"Yes, yes, I agree." He put a hand on his chest, his heart racing. "I just thought you'd probably like to know."

"_Probably? My sister is having a baby. Of course I'd like to know!_" Charlotte answered. "_Thank you so much for telling me! Have you got any other news?_"

"Nothing yet." He replied.

"_Alright then. Can you promise you'll call me later? I want to know how Charlie and the babies are doing at all times!_"

"I can't promise anything, but I'll try." He answered. "Now, I'd hate to leave so abruptly, but I should really get back inside the hospital."

"_Oh of course!_" Charlotte chirped. "_And thank you once again!_"

After saying their goodbyes, Maxwell hung up and quickly went back into the building. He had just stepped back through doors when he suddenly paused.

"Do you think this is the right place?"

"Pretty sure."

Those voices sounded familiar. Too familiar. He stepped into the waiting room, searching for their source.

He saw a couple sitting in the chairs together: a woman wearing a red blouse and a black skirt, her dark hair tied up in a bun. Next to her was a man with hair that looked like it defied gravity and slightly sunken eyes, as if he were perpetually sleep deprived.

The woman took notice of him almost immediately. Her face brightened as she stood up and trotted over to him. "Well, if it isn't the father-to-be himself." She grinned.

He fought the urge to gape at her like a fish. "Willow?" He said slightly incredulously. "And… Higgsbury." He gave Wilson a look as he got up to join them. "You're _both_ here?"

"Of course we are!" Willow gave him another smile. "We thought you might want someone to help pass the time on this big day."

He continued to stare at them. "But, how did you know I was here?"

"We saw your car driving towards the hospital after we dropped Hazel off at school." Wilson stated rather proudly. "So, we thought we'd investigate."

He raised an eyebrow. "Charming." He sighed and walked back over to one of the chairs. "Well, as long as you're here, you might as well stay."

Willow took her husband's arm and led him back to the chairs next to Maxwell. "Certainly. We've got time to spare."

Maxwell glanced at them as they sat down next to him. "So... how long do you suppose this is going to take?"

"Probably a while, if I were to guess." Willow answered as she sat down next to him. "I was in labor for almost twelve hours when I had Hazel."

"Mm, I remember." Wilson nodded, then paused when Willow gave him a look. "What?"

Willow looked back at Maxwell. "But it varies a lot from woman to woman, so it could take more or less time than that. Then again, Charlie is having twins so…" She looked deep in thought.

"Thank you, Willow." Maxwell decided to interrupt her before things got too complicated. "I really do appreciate it." He glanced at Wilson once more. "So, did you happen to tell anyone else you were coming here? Charlie and I were trying to keep this as quiet as possible."

"I myself did not speak to anyone else of this." Wilson stated. "Willow?"

She shook her head. "Me neither."

Maxwell breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. As long as word doesn't get out too quickly, we should be-"

"I'm not too late for the gathering, am I?"

"Wha-?" Maxwell was immediately on his feet again as a certain redheaded figure strolled up to them, her voluminous hair tied up in a ponytail.

Willow gasped and stood up as well. "Wigfrid?"

A proud grin spread across her face as she gave a theatrical bow before them. "The one and only."

Willow laughed and brought the woman in for a hug as Maxwell stood there completely dumbfounded.

"How did…?" He put his hand on his head. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"We… happened to be in town." Wigfrid released Willow from the hug and came over to him. "You didn't think you were gonna be spending your big day alone, did you?"

He raised an eyebrow. "We?"

"Oh right, I almost forgot." She looked over at the hospital doors.

As if on cue, a fairly tall man came strolling through the doors. Two giftwrapped presents rested in both of his arms, and he clutched an entire bunch of balloons in his one free hand. The balloons were of varying colors, some reading "_It's a Girl!_," others reading "_It's a Boy!_," and the rest twisted around to depict all sorts of different animals.

He trotted up to them excitedly, stopping at Wigfrid's side, an ecstatic grin plastered on his face.

Wigfrid smiled at him. "We didn't know what you're having, so Wes and I got a good variety."

The ever-silent mime nodded in agreement.

Maxwell was dumbstruck. "I…I don't know what to say… Really, I don't." Never in any of his years did he ever think these people would one day be helping celebrate the birth of his children.

"You don't have to say anything." Wigfrid replied. "All we ask in return is that we get to wait here with you."

Maxwell stared at them closely, then chuckled lightly. There was clearly going to be no arguing with these two. "Of course, let's go take a seat." He turned and led them back to the seats of the waiting room.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello once again everyone! Just a quick heads up here, this chapter will feature Charlie and Maxwell's babies finally being born. That being said, there will be some childbirth in this part, but it's nothing graphic! Anyways, on with the story!**

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Everything felt like a blur. The first thing Charlie knew she was being carted off in a wheelchair to who-knows-where, and the next she was in a hospital bed in an artificially lit room with people bustling around her.

A thin blanket had been draped over her lower half, but it had failed to give her any privacy at all. The doctor and nurses had already examined her multiple times, each time giving her the same answer: "Soon, but not yet."

She stifled a groan as she leaned back on the pillow behind her head. The contractions were already so painful, and they still needed to wait them out. How bad was it going to be when the babies were finally ready to be born? She didn't want to think about it.

Then, another contraction began wrapping itself around her body. She leaned forward slightly and let out a strangled cry.

This one felt different from the others. Instead of the sensation spreading all over her body, it felt lower-down and more pin-pointed. It was as if a weight was pressing on her, making her involuntarily want to bear down.

Dr. McConnell was immediately at the foot of the bed, examining her once again.

"Why… did it feel like that?" She asked between deep breaths.

"The first baby's finally moved further down into your pelvis. They're almost ready to be born." He glanced at her reassuringly. "When you feel the next contraction, don't resist it. Focus on taking deep breaths, and push along with it."

Charlie breathed and rested her head back to look at the ceiling. This was it. She was going to be a mother. Nine months of preparing, planning, and waiting had finally brought them to this moment.

"Are you ready, Mrs. Carter?"

She glanced back at the doctor before taking another deep breath. She could do this. For her children and for her husband, she was going to pull through.

She gripped the sides of the bed. "I am."

The next contraction made its presence known not long after. Charlie grit her teeth and pushed, which relieved some of the pressure that came from her abdomen bearing down. It also made it feel like a thousand knives were jabbing themselves into her body.

"Don't forget to breathe, now."

She unclenched her jaw and took a several deep breaths, letting loose another cry of pain that had been threatening to escape from her. Beads of sweat rolled down her forehead. She hadn't even realized that she'd been holding her breath.

"It's important to keep breathing. Now, keep pushing."

She took another breath and did as she was instructed.

"Once more, Mrs. Carter."

She cried out and pushed once again. Her bangs were now stuck to her forehead with sweat and she took several shaky breaths.

"Good, good. You're doing wonderfully." A nurse brought several towels over to McConnell. "The head's almost completely out now, so we're going to give you a small break and let it ease the rest of the way out on its own."

She made a small noise in response and leaned back on the pillow once again.

"They've got a lovely patch of brown hair, just like yours."

She looked up slightly and managed a small smile, her heart fluttering. "Really…?"

The baby had her hair. She briefly wondered what the second baby was going to look like, and whether or not they were going to be identical or fraternal twins. Then, the next contraction came. She grimaced once again from the sudden new pain.

The doctor refocused himself. "Alright, I need you to not push on this one. Just let your body do the work."

It was much easier said than done. She took deep, rapid breaths to counteract the urge to push. Finally, the contraction passed once again.

"Fantastic job, Mrs. Carter. You're getting really close now." Dr. McConnell encouraged her. "When the next contraction rolls around, I want you to give it all you've got. Do that, and your baby will be born before you know it."

Charlie nodded, unable to respond. She hoped he was right.

"Okay, whenever you're ready, go ahead and push."

She readied herself once again for the pain she was becoming far too familiar with, and began to push.

"Good, good! Push again."

Her body felt as if it were being ripped in two. She cried out in pain and pushed once again.

"One more time, Mrs. Carter, you can do it."

She thought her cry must have been heard all the way from the waiting hall. Then, in one fluid motion, the baby was pushed completely out of her.

"Ah, here we are." The doctor lifted up the tiny infant just as they gave a few wet coughs, and then filled the room with a shrill cry. "It's a beautiful baby girl."

Charlie immediately forgot about any of the pain she was in. The sound of her baby's cry, her _daughter's_ cry, made tears come to her eyes. She watched as the doctor wrapped her in a towel, trying to keep her from squirming too much.

Tears rolled freely down her cheeks. "She's… She's- AAGH!" She suddenly leaned forward once again as her body began to contract and bear down, the red-hot pain returning to her all at once.

Dr. McConnell handed the baby off to the nurse next to him. "Ah, and here comes baby number two."

All she could do was watch as her daughter was gathered up and carried off into the next room, her cries becoming more distant the further away she got. She wanted them to come back, she wanted nothing more than to hold her baby daughter.

Her distress did not go unnoticed. Dr. McConnell did his best to reassure her. "Sorry Mrs. Carter, but we're going to have to postpone the celebration until the second baby's out."

The second baby. She'd almost forgotten she was giving birth to twins. She took several deep breaths as the contraction ran its course. "Can I see them once we're done?" She asked breathily.

He gave her another smile. "Yes, you can. Now, let's focus on the task at hand. It should go a little more quickly the second time around."

She nodded, satisfied with his answer.

It was still excruciatingly painful, but it did go more quickly. Maybe she was becoming used to it, or maybe the ecstasy from seeing her first baby be born gave her some newfound energy.

"One more push, Mrs. Carter, and your second baby will be born."

The newfound energy could only take her so far. At this point, she had never felt so exhausted in her life. Her legs shook and she felt as if she were lying in a pool of sweat. And somehow, she found the energy to push once more, letting loose one more long, painful groan.

The shrill cry of the second baby filled the room once again. Charlie managed to sit herself up slightly, waiting expectantly for the announcement of the gender.

"And it is… another girl!" The doctor announced proudly as he lifted up the baby for Charlie to see.

Charlie gasped softly and leaned back down on the bed. "_Twin girls_…" She whispered to herself, the word echoing in her mind over and over. She and Maxy had twin daughters.

The second nurse had another towel at the ready. She wrapped up the second baby and prepared to take her over into the next room.

"We'll let you see them as soon as we get them cleaned up."

Charlie watched as they took her second crying daughter out of the next room. So many emotions coursed through her at once, she didn't know what to say or think.

"They've both got quite a healthy set of lungs on them." McConnell began gathering the extra towels around him and rearranging the space.

Soon enough, the two nurses wheeled her daughters in on a portable bassinet. They were swaddled in soft blankets, one in a yellow one, and the other in a pastel orange one. Clean and warm, they still squirmed around in the bassinet, making tiny sounds that threatened to completely melt Charlie's heart.

She smiled as the nurses gingerly picked them up and brought them over to her, and placed them gently on her chest. As soon as they came in contact, the babies calmed their movements and snuggled as close to her as they could, their tiny hands grasping at the fabric of her gown.

She breathed softly as to not disturb them, tears starting to form in her eyes once again. They were finally here, safe and healthy.

"Hello, my darlings…" She stroked their heads, they _did_ have her hair. "I'm your mama…" Tears rolled freely down her cheeks for the second time. "You're both so beautiful…" She wiped her eyes with her hand.

"Your husband's going to be very proud when he sees them." McConnell strode up to her, smiling. "Would you like me to send for him?"

She looked up at the doctor, having forgotten he was still in the room. "Yes, please."

"I'll get right on it." He quietly exited the room.

Charlie sighed once again, glad to finally have some privacy. She turned her attention back to the babies resting on her chest and cradled them gently. "Wait 'till Maxy sees you two…"

If there was anything Maxwell could learn from waiting with as strange of a crew as his, it was that Wes was frighteningly good at charades, and Wigfrid and Willow were relentless at card games. He'd just finished his eighth losing streak against them before deciding to forfeit.

After quite literally hours, Dr. McConnell entered the waiting room once again. Maxwell, upon seeing him, immediately stood up and walked over to him. Everyone else fell silent.

"Ah, Mr. Carter." McConnell gave him a wide grin has he approached.

"Doctor McConnell." He replied curtly. "Is everything…?" He could barely finish his sentence.

"Everyone's doing perfectly fine." He smiled at him. "Would you like to come meet your children?"

His heart rate increased at least two-fold. "Yes, yes I would. And Charlie…?"

"She's doing great. Now, if you'd just come with me, I'll take you to them."

It took a vast amount of his willpower to not just race down the halls to find his wife. They walked down several hallways and around multiple corners before they finally came to a stop at a closed door.

"I'll let you two have some privacy for a bit." McConnell gave him one more glance before turning and heading down the hallway one again.

Maxwell quickly thanked him before he disappeared out of sight, then stood there by himself, straightening his tie anxiously. No turning back now.

As quietly as he could muster, he opened the door.

Charlie was resting on a single bed, in the middle of a softly-lit room. She looked mightily exhausted, but her smile was unwavering.

His heart skipped as he noticed the two tiny bundles resting on her chest, how gently and protectively she cradled them.

She looked up from the bundles as he entered the room, and smiled wider as she saw who it was.

A wave of relief washed over him as he took the view in. She was alright. "Charlie…" He whispered to her, not knowing what else to say.

"Hey Maxy." She whispered back to him, then looked back down at the yellow and orange bundles in her arms. "There's someone here I'd like you to meet…"

He came over to the side of the bed and sat down in the chair next to her, not taking his eyes off of her or the bundles. They were so _small_, and delicate. Most of all, they were _his_. Theirs. They had children, they were parents now. Parents!

He lifted his hand, then hesitated. "Can… Can I…?"

She looked at him, then chuckled softly. "Of course you can. They're not going to bite." She stroked the yellow-blanketed baby's head. "Like this."

Mimicking Charlie's motions the best he could, he carefully touched his long, slender fingers to the head of the baby in the orange blanket. They stirred ever so slightly, but didn't show any discomfort.

He swallowed down a lump in his throat as he stroked the baby's brown hair. "They're perfect, Charlie…" He took a breath as tears threatened to escape his eyes, but then remembered something. "What are they? I mean, in terms of gender?" He'd almost forgotten.

She smiled, looking at the baby in the orange bundle. "That one's a girl."

His heart already felt as if it were about to burst with pride. He turned his attention to the yellow bundled baby and stroked their head. "And this one?"

She looked at him, not wanting to miss a single one of his reactions. "Also a girl."

He was at a loss for words. "Twin girls?"

She nodded.

"Wow… Twin girls." He repeated, then looked at her, smiling. "Looks like we've really hit the jackpot, haven't we?"

She chuckled once more, then nuzzled him softly. "Yes, we really have."

He laughed quietly with her and kissed her forehead. "You never cease to amaze me."

She smiled again, then looked down at the bundles still in her arms. "Do you want to hold them?"

He looked down at them with her. "I, I don't know…" He leaned back. "It's been years, no, _decades_ since I last held a baby. I don't want to hurt them."

"Maxy," she gave him a look, "you won't hurt them." She motioned to the baby in the orange, the one closer to him. "Here, just start with one."

He took a breath, still feeling rather insecure with his baby handling skills. "Alright…" He reached for the bundle, but paused again, unsure of where to begin. "Wait, how should I…?"

"Just put your hands underneath her, and pick her up." Charlie smiled patiently. "Then, just gently turn her over onto her back so you can cradle her in your arms."

He nodded, furrowing his brow in concentration. "Okay, let me try."

He extremely carefully slipped one hand underneath the baby, the other on top of her to keep her from falling. Then, he gently lifted her up.

Upon being taken away from the warmth of her mother's body, the infant started to squirm slightly in Maxwell's hands, making a noise of protest.

He hesitated again, holding the fussing baby in mid-air. "M-maybe I should just-"

"No, you're doing fine." Charlie coached him reassuringly. "Just keep going."

His heart was racing, but he did as she said. He lifted his daughter over to him and carefully worked on positioning her properly.

"Good." She watched him closely. "Now hold her close to you so she can keep warm."

He gently brought her to him, holding her close. The baby finally stopped her squirming and snuggled into her father's chest.

He breathed an audible sigh of relief. "There we go, little one." He spoke to her softly as he stroked her hair again. "I was worried I'd upset you too much."

"You did fine, Maxy." Charlie smiled, rubbing the back of the baby still in her arms. "Looks like you still got it."

He chuckled softly. "I suppose I do." He watched as the baby in his arms took hold of one of his fingers, refusing to let go. "Hm, that's quite a grip you've got there, Dorothy."

It took Charlie a moment to realize what he'd said. "Dorothy?" She looked at him.

He stared back, looking sheepish. "Well, I mean, she looks like a Dorothy."

She looked at the baby resting in her husband's arms, then back at the one in hers, and grinned. "And this one looks like an Amelia."

Maxwell smiled, then leaned closer to kiss her once again. "I love you, Charlie."

"I love you too, Maxy."

The now twice-as-large family sat together in silence for the longest time, until a thought occurred to Maxwell. "Charlie?" He asked.

"Hm?"

"Just out of curiosity, which one of them was born first?"

"… I haven't the slightest idea."

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**Hey once again! Thank you so much for reading my Maxlie story! If you liked it, please drop a review and tell me what you liked about it! Got some constructive criticism? Let me know! Here's to next time, and thank you once again for reading! **

**-NineCentsChange**


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